A Glorious Dragon
by Jon Roy Smits
Summary: When dark urges overtake the young dragon, he hurts his dearest friend and must leave Ponyville in order to learn how to live as a dragon and more importantly himself. MLP FIM is the property of Hasbro.
1. Chapter 1

Spike the Hunter

It started with a dream. It wasn't his usual dream of Rarity feeding him gems either. This dream felt terrifyingly real and he wasn't himself. He was something wild, powerful. He felt like an entirely different dragon. It was nice at first. He was running on all fours moving at speeds he could never muster before. He didn't know where he was heading. He moved across Ponyville so fast he could barely make out the landmarks. The young dragon climbed to the top of city hall using his claws to grips the sides of the building. Spike made it to the top of the building. The entire town was laid bare before his eyes. The feeling…..this power was incredible and he had it inside of him all along.

He spotted a white blip in the distance. It looked like a small bunny. Is that Angel? He looked different to Spike somehow. More tender, more juicy. His eyes were locked on the rabbit and his body surged with energy in anticipation. Spike descended the tower and made his way to the rabbit quickly. He was moving faster than earlier. As he got closer, he caught the rabbit's scent out of the air. He slowed to a stop as he could spot the rabbit. Moving silently, he crept into a bush that allowed him to spot Angel without being seen. His body was in a state of euphoria. A few steps separated him from his unsuspecting prey. Angel was eating an apple. Spike took a step forward. He leaned back and prepared to pounce the young rabbit. All of a sudden, he heard a noise from behind him. Angel looked up and immediately run away. Spike was absolutely livid. His quarry was too fast. Even with his new speed, Angel would be impossible to catch.. Turning his attention on the one who disrupted him, he saw Fluttershy. Angel was gone but this prey would prove more nourishing.

Spike suddenly turned his attention to the unsuspecting pegasus. The euphoria was not only back but even stronger than before. "Angel. Please come out!" She was looking for Angel but he was long gone. A devilish idea popped into the dragon's mind. He stepped on a stick. Fluttershy turned around and called, "Angel? Is that you?" She was walking toward the bush. Spike's plan worked perfectly and now his prey was walking into his clutches. All of a sudden, Spike's head started to pound.

Spike was in absolute agony the pain was becoming unbearable. He was on the edge of conscious as he saw Fluttershy who reached the bush and stare at him with a mix of shock and worry on her face. He passed out as he felt himself fall into unconsciousness. The pain faded away as he fell into a peaceful slumber.

Spike awoke the next day and immediately felt sore all over. He could barely muster the strength to get up as he crawled out of bed. He looked around and realized he was back in his little bed in the library. Maybe it was all a dream. He was sore because he probably slept wrong. As Spike walked down the stairs, he saw the clock. It was 1:30 p.m. Where is Twilight? She should have woken me up? Spike was still sore as he made his way to the kitchen .

As his stomach growled, images of Angel and Fluttershy flashed in his head. "Ugh! That stupid dream again." Spike thought aloud as he opened the fridge. He looked at the assortment of fruit and treats. None of it appealed to him. He was never one to be to picky about what he ate. He preferred jewels overall but he was never against eating fruits or plants. Now he could barely stomach them. He closed the fridge and went to a chest next to the kitchen. This was where he kept the jewels he ate. Nothing! He didn't feel like eating them either.

His ears picked up on a small sound in a room across the hall. It was Owlowiscious. He was sleeping in the dark room next door on a pedestal. Spike walked slowly into the room where the owl was slumbering. He stood at the door of the room watching the owl as he slept. Drool escaped his lips as he eyed the bird. His body suddenly felt light as he started creep forward on all fours towards his prey.

When Twilight Sparkle walk into the house, Spike was standing in the door of the reading room. Spike didn't hear her enter. He was too focused on his prey. Hunger had blocked out everything except him and his prey.

"Spike, I am glad to see you're awake. What happened last night?" She shouted only to receive no response. "Spike," she called him again and heard a loud crash.

Spike had gotten too eager in his attack. He tried to jump at Owlowiscious from the ground instead of climbing the wall to strike from a better vantage point. Owlowiscious was now awake and fully aware of Spike's intention.

Owlowiscious had flown past Twilight out the front door. "What's wrong, Owlowiscious? Where's Spike? Is he okay?" She said worried for her assistant. Spike walked out of the room and looked at Twilight with a look that Unicorn had never seen before. She almost didn't recognize her number one assistant who was walking on all fours and baring his fangs at her with a hungry look in his eyes. She called out weakly, "Spike? Is that you?"

Spike let loose an bone chilling roar that shook the entire tree. The roar had made him feel powerful. Twilight was paralyzed for a second before she braced herself and her horn started glow.

Spike was about to lunge forward across the room and pounce on his victim. When he found himself in a bubble of magic, he struggled against the magic enclosure to no avail. Spike looked on as his prey walked forward towards the bubble. He stopped struggling and bided his time. He would have wait for his prey to let her guard down. The voice in his head told him so.

Twilight walked toward the bubble. She was glad Spike wasn't moving. It required a lot of concentration to hold the spell in place especially when he moved around a lot. He seemed to be docile now, but she couldn't risk him getting loose. "What was happening to Spike," she wondered

to herself. She needed to find a cure for Spike. The only person who could possibly help her was Princess Celestia and Spike was in no shape to send a letter.

Spike was watching his prey carefully. She couldn't hold this bubble forever and he would seize the opportunity to strike the killing blow. She was pacing in front of the bubble. Spike eyed her trying to decide which part of her he would feast on first after he finished her off. The thought of the meal made him salivate.

Twilight walked toward the bubble and looked at her assistant. Other than the fact that he was drooling at her like a diamond, it was her friend Spike inside the bubble. She could probably reason with him. She knew her Spike was somewhere inside that drooling creature. "Tell me what's wrong Spike. I only want to help you so please tell me how I can help," she was pleading with Spike and for a second it looked like it was working.

Spike heard his prey and something started to stir in his head. He needed to warn Twilight but…the pain from last night returned more intense than ever. His head felt like it was splitting.

"Twi-….get out….can't control …run," he pleaded as his vision became red. Something was coming and he knew it wanted hurt Twilight.

"Spike, I am not going to leave you. You're my," Twilight never finished that statement.

Spike let loose a torrent of flame that broke destroyed the bubble and left a huge black hole in the wall of a bookcase behind Twilight. Twilight was still stunned by the perfectly round hole Spike had managed to make less than foot away from her head. All of a sudden, running away seemed like a good idea. She turned and ran for the door. As soon as was at the frame of the entranceway, Spike tackled her to the ground.

Spike said standing over a confused Twilight who was in an immense amount of pain. She wouldn't have to long to think about it. Spike had twisted her front ankle and she barely had the energy to stay conscious after that vicious tackle. Running and magic were out of the question. I guess this is were it ends. Done in by her number one assistant. She'd never thought she go out this way. She looked at Spike. He was standing over her mouth open. His fangs dripped with saliva and anticipation. She heard words in her mind. It sounded like Celestia. What was she saying?

"He is your responsibility, Twilight," said Celestia in her mind.

"I am sorry, Princess. More importantly, I am sorry, Spike," she whispered to Spike as she lost consciousness. Before she went completely unconscious, she heard a loud thud followed by a huge crash.

* * *

><p>Twilight woke up and gasped, "Spike!" She was in a hospital room. All her friends were around her looking at her with melancholy looks on their faces.<p>

"Calm down, sugarcube. You need to worry about yerself now, Twi." Applejack was trying to change the subject.

"Applejack is right, Twilight. You need to rest so you can get better." Rarity joined in trying to get Twilight to go back to bed.

"Don't worry, Twilight. Once you're all better, I will throw you a huge party to celebrate you getting better. It will be so much fun," Pinkie said with forced cheer.

Fluttershy was looking down avoiding eye contact and Rainbow Dash was looking everywhere except Twilight's direction. It was obvious her friends were avoiding talking about Spike. Twilight started cry.

"Where is Spike? Please, tell me. I can take it. Please." She was trying to stop crying in order to look stronger but it was clear that she wasn't doing a good job.

"Spike is locked up, Twi. Princess Celestia is on her way to take Spike away from Ponyville." Applejack told her everything about how she heard the roar from town, how she had managed to push Spike off of her, and how it took the magic of several other unicorns to bring the baby dragon under control before he hurt anyone else.

Twilight was utterly distraught. This was all her fault. The same words ran through her head over and over. My responsibility, my responsibility. "Can I see him?" She squeaked through a crying voice. The room was quiet for a second. Then a calm, kind voice broke the silence.

"You will my most faithful student, but first, we need to talk."

* * *

><p>Spike remembered being tackled by Applejack and sent flying back into the library. He was about to retaliate before a bunch of unicorns used their magic to pin him to them ground. After that he woke up in a cell, a heavy metal collar around his neck that was bolted to the ground. He was going over it in his head, especially the almost killing Twilight part. How could he hurt her? What was happening to him?<p>

Spike felt something deep down that started to force their way to the top of his mind. It pushed him to do things. He thought last night was a dream. It wasn't. It was real. Suddenly, he heard someone entering the building.

"Spike, are you okay?" As Spike saw Twilight, he looked away from her. She was injured and he had done it. He remembered standing over her and it made him so ashamed. He couldn't face her.

"I'm sorry, Twilight. I didn't want to hurt you. I just," Spike started to tear up. He never wanted to hurt Twilight. The fact that he did made him feel absolutely horrible. Twilight started to cry and Spike started to turn around.

"It's not your fault, Spike. I should have paid more attention to you. Princess Celestia is going to help you." She was trying to stay strong but he could see she was exhausted mentally and physically. She had forced herself to come here before she was ready.

"Spike, I am going to take you to a friend of mine who specializes in dragons. He will help you through this process. Once it's all over, you can come back to Ponyville. I'll give you a chance to say goodbye." Princess Celestia left Twilight alone with Spike.

"Spike, Princess Celestia doesn't know when you will come back. She won't tell me much about this pony but she says he's an expert when it comes to dragons. Whether you decide to come back or not, it is up to you, Spike. I want you to promise me something though. I want you to promise me that we will see each other again, no matter what." Spike didn't know if he could make that promise. This "expert" may very well kill him with his so called "help". He looked at Twilight. If he said no, she would be devastated and that's when it came to him.

"Only if you promise me, you will go on living normally. I don't want you to stop being yourself just because you don't have me around. Oh! Tell Owlowiscious that I am sorry about attacking him. So do we have a deal?" He extended his hand through the bars. It was best he could do considering his situation.

"Deal." she said grabbing his hand smiling. She really wanted to hug him goodbye but under the circumstances that was impossible. She went outside to let the Princess know Spike was ready. Princess Celestia walked back to Spike. He had managed to keep himself composed, but he wouldn't let it out in front of the Princess.

"I'm ready, Princess Celestia." Spike said.


	2. Chapter 2

Spike the Student

A bright light flashed in front of Spike and he was inside a cave that felt oddly familiar. He noticed a huge pile of treasure covering most of the floor. He began to register the scent of someone familiar. He looked around to ask Princess Celestia where we were and who her friend was. Unfortunately, she was nowhere to be seen. Spike heard something breathing and it was watching him with curious eyes. He could almost feel the power of the creature. It was a dragon and they had already met. As he turned around, he realized who it was without even seeing him. It was the green dragon who had nearly incinerated him after he ran away from Twilight.

The beast reached a claw out to grab at him, but Spike had already jumped to the side of the creature narrowly avoiding being crushed. Apex was starting to take over. Spike barely had time to stand before he saw a giant tail flying straight at him. He barely managed to jump over it. The dragon was relentless in his attack and Spike knew if he got hit just once it would be a short fight. Unlike before, he had better senses and reflexes. He also seemed to help Spike see the attacks before they actually started and it made it easy to dodge.

Fire breath was next as he saw the beast take in a huge amount of air. Spike had to hide. He found cover behind a bunch of stalagmites. The beast then did something Spike's inner predator didn't see coming. He smashed his fist into the ceiling causing a stalactite to fall directly on top of Spike's head. Spike was losing consciousness fast. He barely heard what the green dragon said as he stood over him.

"Welcome to class!" The dragon said as Spike lost consciousness as a new figure entered the cave. It was Princess Celestia.

"Don't you think that was bit harsh, Ash?" She said to the dragon.

"Life is harsh. Consider it his first lesson." Ash responded in a gruff tone.

"What do you make of him?" Princess Celestia asked.

"He's sloppy. It took him way to long to notice me. He's also slow. I practically shouted every move I was going to make and he could still barely manage to dodge. Not very bright either. He thought nothing of fighting me in my own home. The fact that I didn't kill him by accident is a mystery to even me." The dragon blew a little smoke into the air as if he were letting off steam.

"And?" Princess Celestia said expecting him to continue.

"He's not entirely hopeless." Ash said.

"How long do you think it will take him to master his power?" Celestia asked.

"It took me two weeks when I was young. Maybe a month for him." The dragon chuckled.

"Do you think he will be up to it?" Celestia asked.

"Only time will tell." The dragon replied.

"Then I will leave it to you my most faithful assistant." Celestia said teleporting away.

* * *

><p>Spike woke to find the dragon staring at him. Instantly, he remembered the fight and the words of the dragon before he fell unconscious. "Are you the dragon expert?" Spike asked nervously<p>

"Dragon expert, eh? I guess I am. You may call me Ash though." The dragon laughed a little.

"Why did you attack me then?" Spike asked angrily.

"I was gauging your abilities, young one."

"So…uhh.. how did I do?" Spike asked.

"You're alive so pretty good." Ash said chuckling.

"You were actually trying to KILL ME!" Spike shouted.

"It wouldn't be much of a test if I wasn't. Now come with me, young one." Ash said.

"Where we going?" Spike asked.

"Hunting, of course!" Ash said walking into the Everfree Forest.

"Tell me, boy. Have you been having headaches? Or urges telling you what to do?" The dragon asked.

"Yeah, it feels like my head is screaming." Spike said walking through the forest. It was hard to keep up with the massive dragon.

"You are starting to grow and a conflict of identity has started to take over. You will eventually have to decide what kind of dragon you want to be, young one." Ash said.

"I don't understand. I have to choose? How am I supposed to do that?" Spike asked with desperation in his voice.

"That's why Celestia brought you to me. By learning about dragons, it will help you find out what type of dragon you want to be." The dragon said. He had stopped walking and held Spike back.

"Listen, young one. I want you to stand back and watch. You are not to close your eyes. I want you to burn what you are about to see into your head. Not only because it is a part of what dragons are, but because I expect the same of you. Do you understand?" The dragon was deathly serious. His eyes told Spike everything that was about to happen would affect him deeply.

"Yeah." Spike said unable to break away from the dragon's stare.

Ash moved forward into to a clearing where a huge Ursa Major was sleeping. Spike could tell just by how much it dwarfed the Ursa Minor that Snips and Snails led into town. Spike watched the green dragon approach the Ursa Major who was already waking up. The Ursa Major roared loudly and jumped into a combat stance. The green dragon did the same. It was almost like they were issuing challenges to each other.

"He's can't defeat that thing. It's huge. " Spike thought.

Ash made the first move. He got in close and slash the beast across the chest with a mighty swipe. The Ursa's blue night sky coat became stained red as he bled, but he ignored that fact as he proceeded to launch several lightning quick slashes on the green dragon.

Spike was in awe. The fight had gone nothing like he expected. The green dragon didn't fall back and rely on speed. He went in close with his strength. His predictions about the Major being slow were wrong as well. He could keep up with dragon well. Spike also realized that when he hunted he always tried to strike when his opponent didn't expect it. He fought like a coward. Spike didn't want to do that anymore. He wanted to face his opponent with pride.

He continued to watch the green dragon as he met the Ursa attacks head on. The Ursa would find his attacks missing their target entirely or made ineffective by a well placed block. The fight was quickly becoming one sided as the dragon proved himself faster and stronger than the Ursa. The two locked up paw to claw. Ash managed to push the bear to the ground with an earth shattering shove and deliver a devastating slash to the neck of the beast ripping out its throat in brutal display of dominance. Spike looked on becoming more intrigued than anything. He felt closer to who he wanted to become by watching this elder dragon. The Ursa Major let out a gargled roar as the dragon stood back. The bear lay on the ground slain after twitching for a bit before he finally died.

"Step forward, young one. This is important." The dragon combatant was exhausted but mostly unhurt. Spike had gained something watching this battle. Something he never really thought he needed. He had someone he could look up to. He was about to ask when the dragon asked Spike a question.

"Have you experienced hunger, young one? A hunger that can't be satisfied by gems or other food." Ash asked Spike with a serious tone.

"Yeah, I hurt a close friend because of that hunger." Spike had hung his head at the thought of what he had done to Twilight. He had to make it up to her.

"That is sad, but your hunger is not a bad thing. It is a part of who you are as a dragon. You are about to partake in the first of many meals that have allowed our ancestors to grow into the mighty beast of legends known as dragons. Do not forget the taste nor the feelings you are about to experience. Let us begin." The dragon began to tear away a piece of meat for Spike. The dragon dropped the huge piece of meat in front of Spike.

Spike looked at it for awhile. It was almost as big as him. He was hungry but this looked like a little much. Starting slowly, he tried to chew the meat with some restraint. Partly because he didn't want to disrespect the gift his idol had given him. He also didn't want to go all out on what was his first piece of meat. Unfortunately, his hunger soon took hold of him and what started out as nibbling turned into full fledged bites as he began to devour the bear meat unlike anything he had ever eaten. All decorum the young dragon had showed at first had all but vanished. The meat itself was nothing too special. It was rough, chewy, and calling it bland would be a disservice to bland food everywhere. Still it hit a spot in Spike's stomach that had long been ignored. Before Spike knew it, the chunk of meat that he originally thought was too big for him was gone and his appetite was still standing strong.

The green dragon spent more time looking down than actually eating himself. He watched his young protégé go from nipping at his food to gobbling down whole mouthfuls in mere seconds. He was glad to see the young one had taken to his first meal so vigorously. When he finished the chunk of meat, the dragon noticed that he was somewhat sad and instantly replaced with a new smaller slab of bear. As he saw Spike take to this new piece of meat with more vigorous chomping, he was ready for the next phase.

Spike finished his seconds and noticed something strange. He didn't feel sleepy like he did when he usually stuffed himself silly. He felt full of energy like he could take on an Ursa Major by himself. He stood up and just let out a huge spiral of fire fill the sky.

The older dragon laughed at the display. "I guess you're ready for the next step."

"Next step?" Spike asked.

"It's time you learned how to control your flame," the dragon said standing up. "Stand back. I am about to show you the Funeral Flame."

Spike stood back as the dragon stood over the corpse. He took in a huge breath and sent a huge cloud of flame that slowly descended over the body. As the fire fell over the bear, it slowly began the eat away at the corpse. The elder dragon bowed his head and Spike followed suit.

"Death be not unkind. Rest in peace." The dragon looked like he was in prayer as he said the words. The fire consumed the rest of the body leaving absolutely nothing.

"It is the Funeral Flame Ritual. This is how we honor those who fall in battle. As a dragon, the worst taboo among our kind is to leave the remains of a fallen combatant to rot. To do so, is to mark a dragon as nothing more than killer and disgrace the dead. We are warriors, young one. When our foes fall in battle, we honor their struggle with this special spell. Come, I shall teach you this spell first." The dragon signaled for Spike to follow him as he walked back to the cave.

An hour later, Spike had pretty much mastered the spell immediately. Despite its deep meaning, it was relatively simple to learn and master. As long he could maintain the oxygen in the flame, the flames would continue to burn anything it touched until it was gone then fizzle out. Ash was impressed with Spike's ability to pick up the basics. It may take less time to teach him than he thought.

"Alright, let's move on. Show me your fireball." Ash said.

Spike let out a small ball of flame that disappeared soon after leaving his mouth. Ash began to laugh a little as he watch the display. The elder dragon stood up and proceeded to puff his chest out. As flames began to seep out of his mouth. He opened his mouth and let loose a fireball that could turn any building into a smoldering pile. It hit the side of the cave causing the walls to shake.

"Holy guacamole!" Spike said after standing up to see the damage. Besides leaving a huge impact, the rocks around it were all melting.

"That, my dear boy, is a fireball," Ash said proudly.

"That was amazing, ol' timer," Spike said.

"Old timer?" Ash said chuckling.

"Yeah, you always call me young one or boy so I decided to call you old timer." Spike explained nervously. He had hoped that he would just go with it but maybe he had offended his new teacher.

"I am over a thousand years old so I guess old timer would be a good nickname," the elder dragon laughed to himself. Spike thought about that comment. That means he would have been around before the imprisonment of Nightmare Moon. Spike wondered if the old dragon had known Princess Celestia that long ago. He was about to ask when his teacher interrupted him.

"Are you going to daydream, young one? Or are you going to try to improve that sorry excuse for a fireball?" Ash asked. The young dragon was coming along nicely. He needed to be ready to start hunting on his own soon.

* * *

><p>Twilight had to fill her friends in after the Princess teleported away with Spike. They all agreed that Spike would definitely comeback. Her friends urged her to rest at the hospital before going back to the library tomorrow. She finally relented after her friends agreed to let her leave tomorrow.<p>

The next morning Twilight heard her friends outside of her room. They seemed to be discussing something outside the door of her room. Twilight quietly and carefully snuck over the door and eavesdropped on the conversation.

"We can't let Twilight see this. She's been through enough already with Spike leaving," Applejack said pointing to something Rarity was levitating. Twilight couldn't make it out through the crack in the door.

"It's simply awful how they blew this thing out of proportion," Rarity said.

"Ooooooh! It makes me so mad! Spike didn't even kill anyone! I mean, hello! You have to kill some one to be a killer and Spike only injured Twilight. I guess that would make him an injurer-" Applejack put her hoof in Pinkie's mouth before she went off on one of her tangents.

"Spike wasn't himself when he attacked Twilight. I found him the night before passed out on the street in pain. Spike's not some monster. The poor dear was probably ill yesterday." Fluttershy said trying to defend Spike.

Twilight was confused as she listened to her friends. She decided to walk out and see what had her friends so upset. Rarity who saw the door opening signaled to her friends as she hid something behind her back. Twilight eyed the four ponies suspiciously as they greeted her.

"Girls, what are you hiding from me?" Twilight asked trying to see the paper but Applejack had stepped in between her and Rarity.

"You oughta be in bed, Twilight. I'll help you back inside while Rarity does something else," Applejack was trying to push the unicorn back inside when Rainbow Dash came flying down the hall with a newspaper in her mouth. Unfortunately, she was flying way too fast and ran smack dab into Rarity causing both newspapers to fly all over the hallway. Applejack scrambled to find the front page before Twilight but the unicorn had already pulled the page out of the air with her magic.

A range of emotions fell over Twilight as she read the huge headline. Anger, sadness, and guilt all swirled inside the young unicorn

"Killer Dragon goes on Rampage" was sprawled across the top of the paper with a picture of a wild looking Spike growling as he was held down by the magic of several unicorns. Twilight broke down as she read the headline.

"This is all my fault," she said to herself as she started to cry.

"Now you just hol' yer horses, Twi," Applejack wasn't about to let her friend start beating herself up again.

"You can't beat yerself up over this. Spike ain't some book. It's downright crazy for you to know everythin about Spike, guardian or not. Ah'm sure Spike doesn't blame you for what happened and neither should you. Remember your promise to Spike, sugarcube." Applejack said.

"You're right, Applejack. I can't break my promise to Spike. I think I'm ready to go home, girls. Spike can't come home to a ruined library." Twilight said.

As they left the hospital, Twilight was in better much spirits. She couldn't break her promise to Spike. While she was walking home with her friends, she couldn't help but feel everyone in Ponyville was looking at her. She would look in the direction of a group and find them looking away or whispering. The story in that paper must have gotten around.

"Don't worry about that story, Twilight. I mean who reads the paper anyway?" Dash was trying to make her friend feel better but by the looks of it a lot of people were reading the paper.

"Dash is right. These nasty stories are nothing but a flash in the pan as it were." Rarity didn't look convinced though as she looked at the whispering crowds.

"I'm sure everyone knows the real Spike," Fluttershy said confidently.

They were almost at the library when they noticed the mayor of Ponyville waiting by the door. She had a smile on her face that she always had. It was an obvious political smile. Twilight had seen enough of them around Celestia.

"Hello, Twilight. It is nice to see you up and about. May I talk to alone for a second?" The mayor said.

"Sure. Could you guys wait outside for a few minutes?" Twilight's face was one of concern. This was definitely about the incident yesterday. Twilight walked into the house with the mayor hoping the news wouldn't be too bad. Once they were inside and far enough away from prying eyes and ears. The mayor let a look of concern fall over her face as she started to talk.

"Twilight, I thought I should let you know that some of the citizens have expressed over what happened yesterday. I was also told by Princess Celestia that Spike may be coming back to Ponyville. I just thought I should let you know that some of the citizens may not be ready to welcome Spike back if he does decide to come back." The mayor was quick and to the point.

"I don't understand, mayor. I was the only one hurt, yesterday. No one else should be scared of Spike." Twilight's argument was weak. She could understand why some ponies might be scared but she didn't want to admit that to herself.

"Listen, Twilight. Ponyville is a relatively peaceful town. I think this is the first time in a long time that a pony has been assaulted inside the city. People are just concerned about safety." Twilight couldn't figure out what the mayor was getting at. Was she trying to tell her it was a bad idea to let Spike come back?

"Princess Celestia took Spike to an expert on dragons. I'm sure Spike will be back to his old self when he returns, mayor." Twilight tried to sound reassuring, but a tinge of desperation could be found in her speech.

"If you say so, I will personally do my best to make sure Spike is given another chance," the mayor said. The mayor said her goodbyes to Twilight and her friends as she left.

"What was that all about?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"She just wanted talk about what happened yesterday and make sure everything was okay."

Twilight didn't mention the fact that some citizens might not be entirely comfortable with Spike returning to Ponyville. She didn't want to give her friends anymore reason to worry.

They spent the rest of the day cleaning up the library and fixing the damage from Spike's rampage. It took all day but they finally got things all cleaned up. After all her friends went home, Twilight walked up to her room and immediately walked over to Spike's basket. She slept next to Spike's basket and thought about happier times.


	3. Chapter 3

Spike the Homeward Bound

Spike was moving silently through the Everfree Forest. Learning how to move swiftly and quietly was hard at first. Running at high speeds, watching the ground, and what's in front of you all at the same time. It was extremely hard for the young dragon at first. He had caught on after almost a month of practice. Spike could do it in his sleep now. He had come far since the old dragon started teaching him and tonight was his first hunt.

Ash was watching Spike from the air. He was proud of his student. He had come far in such a short time. He was on his first hunt. Ash knew his first hunt would be tough. The animals in the Everfree Forest were anything but pushovers. The harsh environment made sure of that.

Spike's training was harsh. He didn't get much sleep over the last month, but ever since he started eating meat, he found himself with more energy than he knew what to do with. Everyday was learning something new or going over something that needed work. Spike's muscles were always sore by the end of the day, and he wouldn't have much time to rest. Ash always woke him up bright up and early. Except for today, he let Spike sleep in to prepare for his first hunt.

Spike felt he was ready long ago. He became more anxious every time he saw his mentor hunting creatures. The young dragon wanted to prove himself in front of his teacher. He actually wanted to start hunting on his own weeks ago, but Ash still felt he wasn't ready. Spike was ecstatic when Ash told him about tonight. The opportunity to put his hard work into action had finally come.

The young dragon didn't want to waste his first hunt going after something easy. He was looking for a creature who would challenge him. All his senses were hard at work scanning the area for prey when he felt something watching him. He could tell now it was following him and it wasn't alone. There were at least five of them. Spike stepped into a clearing and faced his stalkers.

A pack of wolves had stepped forward from the brush and were circling around Spike. He notice there were six of them. Spike couldn't help but feel nervous as all six wolves stopped and a wolf who was twice the size of the others stepped out and faced Spike down. His body was old and riddled with scars and his eyes screamed cold blooded killer. Spike couldn't ask for a better opponent. The other wolves stood back this fight would be between the Spike and the old wolf.

They stared at each other for what seemed like ages. Spike made the first move. He launched a huge fireball, but the old wolf charged forward and jumped the massive ball of fire. The old wolf was making his way forward hoping to get in close and strike, but Spike was much faster. Spike continued to keep his distance launching fireballs at the wolf who continued to dodge them. The old wolf stopped chasing Spike. The young dragon had cornered him in a ring of fire there was no more room to dodge. The two were breathing hard but the elder wolf was breathing harder. The fire created a thick smoke that made breathing very difficult. Spike could breathe just fine though.

The fight had stopped as the two caught their breath. Spike was warned about making too many fireballs in a such a short period of time. Ash told him he should wait five seconds after each fireball. This time Spike had pretty much fired them off one after the other. Spike was really exhausted, but he had the old wolf right were he wanted despite the toll it took on him. His opponent could barely breathe and dodging was out of the question. The old wolf didn't look the least bit deterred. He stood tall and prepared for a fight.

They charged each other. Spike managed to make contact first with a head butt to the ground, but the old wolf barely stood his ground as he almost fell back against the fire. The wolf charged again and Spike tried to use his tail to strike the wolf to the ground. The wolf was quick as the tail missed by a hair and slammed into the ground. The enemy got in close and slashed Spike's arm deeply with his claws. Spike got in a good head butt that sent the wolf sprawling back. This time he fell back to close to the flames and his fur started to burn.

Spike was too busy holding his arm, which was bleeding profusely, to notice until he heard the old wolf howl in pain. The old wolf was rolling on the ground trying to put the flames out. He succeeded but the effort had drained him. Spike could tell he was on his last legs as he stood to face him. Spike was doing much better by comparison his left arm was in an incredible amount of pain but he could at least still fight.

The wolf saw the young dragon walk towards him. He could barely stand let alone walk. The wolf wanted to stand. He felt the end was near, and he didn't want to turn away. He faced the young dragon and stood proudly. The wolf was prepared for death. As the young dragon raised his claws, the old wolf closed his eyes.

The other wolves howled as Spike slashed with his good arm the elder wolf across the neck. The other wolves who were outside the ring of fire bowed to Spike before backing into the dark forest. Ash who was watching everything from the descended into the clearing using his massive wings to extinguish the ring. He was going to say something but thought better of it.

Spike began to feed on the wolf. He didn't want to waste his first kill. Spike noticed a difference from when he usually ate. This time he became full much quicker. Maybe it was the fact that he had killed it himself that made the difference. When Spike was finished, he stood back and uttered, "May death be not unkind, rest in peace." Spike performed the Funeral Flame Ritual on the remains of the old wolf.

Ash saw his pupil standing there with a deep look on his face.

"It's okay, young one. Go ahead." Ash said.

Spike started to tear up and proceeded to cry like he never had before. He went on for almost an hour before finally stopping. Ash put his student on his back and flew him back to the cave. Ash treated the wound on his arm. It would heal by tomorrow afternoon but it was still a good idea to clean and dress the wound to prevent infection. Spike fell asleep while Ash did this.

"Good job, Spike," Ash whispered.

* * *

><p>On a mountain far away, another dragon was trying to sleep but images of the pony who had embarrassed him haunted his dreams. She had not only forced him to move but she had hurt his pride as a dragon. How come he had listened to her? Why didn't he turn her into a pile of ash? Was he not a mighty beast feared by all? The answer appeared in his head when he thought of her eyes. Those eyes that stared at him like a mere child. He knew what he had to do now. He would destroy everything that pony loved right in front of her. When those eyes were broken, he would end the pony's life. Then he could resume his peaceful slumber with his pride intact.<p>

It would take a few days to reach the town and he would have to face some resistance before he got there, but it was nothing he couldn't handle beside his pride wouldn't let him sleep until the pony was completely crushed.

* * *

><p>Spike woke up the next morning. He saw Ash looking outside the cave. The old dragon had a look on his face like something bad was coming.<p>

"What's wrong," said Spike looking in the same direction.

"Nothing, Spike. Just daydreaming." Spike was about to ask him what was really wrong when he realized the old dragon used his name for the first time.

"What did you call me?" He asked just to make sure he wasn't hearing things.

"I called you Spike. That's your name if I'm not mistaken." Ash said smiling at Spike.

Spike was stunned. His mentor never used his name. It always seemed like he knew his name and chose not to use it.

"Why?" Spike asked.

"I didn't want to use your name until you proved yourself to be a true dragon, Spike. Last night, you showed me you had the makings of a true dragon. You fought with intelligence, skill, and strength against a worthy opponent and came out on top. Spike, I no longer have anything to teach you about being a dragon. Today, you are a dragon equal in standing to myself. Therefore, I shall address you by your name from here on out." Ash said proudly.

"Gee, thanks. I…. don't know what to say." Spike said in awe of Ash's speech.

"I think you should go back to Ponyville. You know who you are, Spike. You're ready to go home."

"Really? I can't wait to see all my friends again." Spike wondered if he see his old mentor again.

"I'll always be here if you need someone to talk to Spike or hunt with," Ash said.

Ash watched as Spike left. He really wished the young dragon all the best. Since last night, he felt something was coming and for the first time in a long time, he felt like whatever it was might be too much for him. He pushed the doubt from his mind and remembered his task. The task that Celestia assigned him long ago.

* * *

><p>Twilight had manage to fall back into a somewhat normal routine while Spike was away. She didn't realize how integral Spike was to her studies. The first couple of days she would call out for Spike several times throughout the day out of habit. She also had to retrieve her own books. She would have to look for them and pull them down with her magic which meant she had to get up and stop concentrating on her work. Spike would usually get the books so she could remain focused. The only time she got work done was during the night when Owlowiscious was there to cover for Spike. Still most of her studies were done during the day and her progress suffered. She also had to send her letters the old fashioned way. The mail system was great and all but Spike was much faster.<p>

Most of all though, she missed Spike's company. The library was an empty place for just one pony and Twilight often felt herself becoming more and more isolated. Her friends would come by and visit her for awhile but they had to go home eventually. After a few weeks, she barely had the will to continue studying anymore. Without Spike, everything she did felt more like a hassle.

Sometimes she would walk through town and talk to her friends. They would avoid talking about Spike because the merest mention of anything even remotely related to dragons would send Twilight into quiet depression making any further conversation impossible. Sometimes she would just go into a quiet depression without anyone saying anything Spike related at all. Even Pinkie's parties couldn't break Twilight out of her funk.

For the first time ever, Twilight didn't bother getting out of bed at all. She didn't even bother opening the library. "It's not like anyone was checking out books anyway." Twilight thought. She was laying in bed when she heard someone knocking on her door. Twilight just ignored it. They'd go away sooner or later.

Spike knocked on the door of the library but no one answered. He figured Twilight was out somewhere. He decided to go visit Rarity. As Spike walked through town, he noticed a few ponies were scared of him. He had expected this, but it still hurt to see the ponies of Ponyville scared of him. All of a sudden, he heard something headed toward him at a high speed from above. He stepped to the side and let Rainbow Dash land without incident.

"Hey, Rainbow Dash," Spike said coolly.

"Hey, Spike. Nice moves! Where ya been? Twilight just isn't same since you left," Spike focused on the last part.

"What's wrong with Twilight?" Spike asked. He suddenly wanted to talk to Twilight more than ever.

"She's all depressed and junk cuz you left. I mean she tried to keep her promise, Spike but she just fell apart without you, you know," Rainbow Dash said looking down.

"Where is Twilight anyway? I went to the library and no one was there." Spike said. He began to realize that his promise may of have been more than Twilight could handle. He couldn't really remember the last time Twilight had gotten a book herself or even put one back on the shelf.

"I dunno. She rarely goes out anymore. Maybe she's hanging out with somebody. Come on, let's go look." Rainbow Dash said trying to get Spike on her back.

"You move pretty fast, Dash. I am not sure it's safe." Spike said moving back.

"This is the fastest way to find her, Spike. Just pretend I'm Twilight." Spike knew that was impossible. Twilight didn't move at sonic speeds several miles off the ground. He had to admit she had a point though. He hopped on and grabbed her neck.

"Where's our first stop?" Dash asked.

"I was headed to Rarit-" Spike didn't get to finish because Dash took off like a rocket towards the Carousel Boutique. It only took a minute to reach the boutique but Spike had never been more scared for his life. He carefully stepped off Rainbow Dash.

"That was pretty cool. No wonder Twilight always carries you on her back." Rainbow Dash said.

"Fun for you, maybe." Spike said to himself.

Spike entered Rarity's boutique to see his beloved working on a dress. He stared at her and realized he hadn't seen her for an entire month. He missed her so much. Did she miss me? He thought to himself.

"Hi, Rarity." Spike said sheepishly.

"Spike? Is that you? Well, hello dear. We've all missed you so much, especially Twilight." Rarity said walking over to Spike.

"You missed me. Really?" Spike was too lovestruck to notice her ask about Twilight.

"Hey, Rarity. We're lookin for Twilight. She's not at the library, but I guess you haven't seen her either." Dash guessed.

"I haven't seen her for a few days now. I was going to go visit her later and see if we couldn't get her out the library. It's so dreary the way she spends all her time there. It's definitely not good for complexion." Spike was still standing there with a dazed look on her face. Rainbow Dash poked him out of Rarity induced trance.

"Helloooo! Spike! Anyone home?" Rainbow Dash shouted.

"I'm fine. What happened?" Spike said waking up.

"Rarity doesn't know where Twilight is. Let's go see Pinkie." Dash ordered.

"Can we go a little bit slower?" Spike asked reluctantly climbing back on. "Bye, sweet Rarity."

"Later. Maybe we can do a few loop de loops this time, Spike." Dash said flying through the door before Spike could answer.

Despite all the loop de loops, they made it to Sugarcube Corner in less than they should have had any right to. As soon as Rainbow Dash landed, Spike kissed the ground. If it wasn't for his super strong stomach, he would have puked his guts out.

"Whaddya think Spike? Way better than that old slowpoke Twilight, right?" Rainbow Dash said proudly.

"I think I'll stick to the ground for awhile," Spike said cautiously. He opened the door of the Sugarcube Corner only to be tackled back outside by a pink blur. He found himself in a hug that easy could have been a vice grip.

"Spike, you're back. O-M-G! We need to have a party. A "Welcome Back, Spike Party"! You know who we should invite. Twilight! She's been super duper down in the dumps since you left Spike. How is Twilight? She must be super duper mega happy if you came back-"

"Pinkie, I can't breathe." Spike said. The earth pony's grip around his neck seem to increase as she spoke.

"We're actually looking for Twilight, Pinkie. She's not at the library. You haven't seen her either then." Dash was quickly becoming frustrated.

"We can throw the party at the library. Twilight has to come home soon enough. *Huge Gasp* It can be a surprise party! We'll invite everypony and when Twilight comes back, we'll surprise her with a "Spike is Back" party. She'll be so happy."

"How are we supposed to get into the library? The door is locked," Spike said.

"Silly Spike, I have a key." Pinkie said.

"How'd you get a key? I don't even have a key." Spike said.

"I have a key to every building in Ponyville." Pinkie said it like it was completely natural for a baker to have such a thing.

"Why?" Rainbow Dash asked.

"So I can throw surprise parties. DUH! I can't very well ask the owners for a key so I can throw a surprise party. They'll find out." Spike and Rainbow Dash looked at Pinkie incredulously. That opened so many more questions. How did she make a key for every house in Ponyville? Was she aware that breaking and entering was a crime? Why hadn't anyone noticed this before? Dash and Spike decided to drop it. It would be pointless to try to figure out how Pinkie did anything. You'd just get more confused.

"It's probably better than flying around Ponyville, all day." Spike said relieved he didn't have to fly with Rainbow Dash anymore.

"Yeah, I guess it would be kinda fun to throw a party." Rainbow Dash said.

"Good, let's get everyone over to Twilight's house. Rainbow Dash, you go get everyone and bring em to the library. Spike grab a box of party supplies. We've got a party to plan."

* * *

><p>"Finally," Twilight said as the visitor left.<p>

Twilight wondered where Spike was. She started to cry again. Not a day went by without her crying about Spike. She didn't cry in front of her friends but then again she rarely saw them and when she did it was very brief. It had been a few days since she left the library maybe she should visit them. She decided to visit Fluttershy. She desperately wanted to talk about Spike to someone and Fluttershy was a great listener. She walked the streets and noticed Applejack talking to Rainbow Dash.

"Hey guys! What's up?" Twilight was trying not to let her depression show.

"N-Nothin, Twi. Why would you ask?" Applejack said nervously.

"No reason. I'm just curious." Twilight knew Applejack was hiding something. She was a terrible liar.

"Hey, Twilight. Where ya headed?." Rainbow Dash asked trying to change the subject.

"I was headed to Fluttershy's for a bit," Twilight said.

"Well, I gotta go later." Twilight watched Rainbow Dash take off in a bigger hurry than usual. She focused her attention on Applejack.

"Ok, Applejack. What are you two hiding?" Twilight said watching the cowpony intensely.

"Nothin, sugarcube. Wouldya look at the time? I have to go pick up Applebloom. See you later, Twi."

Twilight wondered what they were hiding. She could figure it out later. Talking to Fluttershy was her main objective. As she walked towards her friend's house, she could have sworn she saw the afterimage of a rainbow heading away from Fluttershy's cottage. She saw the shy, yellow pegasus looking up. Something is definitely up. Twilight thought.

"Hi, Fluttershy. Did Rainbow Dash stop by?" Twilight's word came off as more of an interrogation than a greeting.

Fluttershy was caught off guard by the tone and didn't know how to respond. Rainbow Dash told her to keep Twilight busy. When she asked how, Dash told her to talk about Spike. Fluttershy knew what Dash was getting at. Her friends tried to get her to talk about Spike but she just became more withdrawn and depressed. If Fluttershy could get Twilight to talk about Spike, she would feel so much better and it would be enough time to set everything up.

"Twilight, are you okay you seemed so stressed lately?" Fluttershy was hoping she would bring it up.

"I…I guess I am. It's just been so hard lately without-" Twilight let the sentence hang unfinished and Fluttershy thought she was going to go quiet, but she didn't. She started talking about how much she missed Spike. Fluttershy just listened while Twilight let out what must have been a month worth of anguish and depression. By the time she finished, Fluttershy realized they were supposed to be on their way to the library.

Twilight was feeling much better than she had all month. Fluttershy offered to walk her home and Twilight agreed. As they walked to the house, Fluttershy noticed Twilight that was smiling. She could barely remember Twilight actually smiling in the last month. She was glad to see her friend smiling again. She would often try to force a smile that just made her look even sadder.

As Twilight opened the door to the library, she received what was quite possibly the best surprise of her life. All her friends screamed surprise, Twilight instantly focused on the center of the room and almost broke down. It was Spike just standing there screaming surprise. She instantly tackled the dragon in the biggest hug she could muster.

"Hi, Twilight. It's good to see you too." Spike said hugging her back.

"I am sorry, Spike. I couldn't keep my promise. I tried. I-" Spike put his arms up in mock frustration.

"I guess I better stick around then since you can't take of care yourself. Geez, Twilight. What would you do without me?" Spike said sarcastically.

"Very funny, Spike." Twilight said.

"Come on, this is a party. Let's have fun." Pinkie Pie said aloud.

All of Twilight friends were glad to see Twilight and Spike back together. During the party, Fluttershy couldn't help feeling Spike was different somehow. He was acting like the same old Spike but she couldn't shake the sense that he was somehow very different than usual. No one else seemed to notice but the yellow Pegasus.

"Hey, Spike. I am glad you're back." Fluttershy said.

"Good to be back," Spike said stuffing his face full of cake.

"I was just wondering could you tell me about what happened with that expert," Fluttershy asked.

"Oh… uhh… you know he taught me some stuff." Spike really didn't want to tell his friends about his new diet.

"What kind of stuff?" Fluttershy asked.

"Dragon stuff. Can we drop it already?" Spike was started to get upset.

"I'm sorry, Spike. I didn't mean to pry." She said walking away.

Spike felt really bad. Maybe Fluttershy would understand. She was an expert on animals and lived near the Everfree Forest after all. If anyone could handle his secret, it was probably Fluttershy.

"Fluttershy, I'll tell you, but you have to promise not to tell anyone."

"Ok, I promise," Fluttershy said.

They walked to a private room and he told her everything about his month in the Everfree Forest with Ash. He looked at Fluttershy to gauge her reaction. She didn't seem especially digusted at the fact that he ate meat or killed. After he finished, he looked down and waited for the pegasus' reaction. She walked over and hugged him.

"Spike, I understand animals better than anyone. I realize that some animals have to eat others to survive. I won't judge you for doing what comes natural and I don't think Twilight will either. I won't tell her anything."

"Thank you, Fluttershy."

The rest of the party went off without a hitch. As Spike walked to his bed, he looked at the basket and thought about how good it was to be home.


	4. Chapter 4

Spike the Protector

Ash was watching the sky. His ex-pupil had come to visit this morning. He was telling Ash about his reunion with his unicorn friend. She had apparently been lost without him and was extremely happy to have her friend back. Ash couldn't concentrate though. Something big was coming and he wasn't sure he could handle it. He knew he had to though because many lives depended on him. Spike depended on him. Princess Celestia depended on him.

As Spike left Ash's cave in the Everfree Forest, his old friend seemed really distracted. He kept looking at the same direction in the sky. Spike had only known Ash for a month but he had never seen him look so worried. He wanted to ask if he could help but thought better of it. Ash could handle anything that was thrown at him. He had seen Ash take on all kinds of dangerous beasts. There was nothing Ash couldn't handle.

As Spike walked through town, he noticed the look of fear the ponies gave him as he walked through town. Some of them actually hid as he passed. He had expected this though. He had went crazy and tried to kill his best friend in public. It wasn't something that could be easily forgotten. Twilight told him they would come around but he wasn't sure if they would. Dragons didn't have the best reputation in Ponyville and any goodwill he might have gained was erased when he attacked Twilight.

He walked back to the library and sat on the stairs . Twilight was in full study mode surrounded by a wall of books. Spike had never seen Twilight study so fervently. She apparently had gotten behind while she was gone and was doing her best to get back up to speed. Spike found himself getting up and running books to her like never before. It wasn't anything the new Spike couldn't handle though. Getting books was much easier when compared to fighting a dangerous creature.

Twilight didn't notice at first but it became quickly apparent that Spike was moving much faster than usual. She would call out the name and the book would be there before she had time to look up. At first, she thought she was imagining things or maybe having Spike back after so long made it seem that way. She decided to test him and call for a book that was not only high up but extremely heavy. She watched in amazement as Spike cut across the library with lightning speed. He ran across a table and jumped to the shelf where the book was. He pulled the book out like it was a magazine and slid down a nearby ladder. Once he reached the floor, he ran the book over to Twilight who was dumbstruck. It took all of ten seconds for Spike to reach the heavy book and bring it to her. Rainbow Dash would have been proud.

"Spike, are you tired?" Twilight asked.

"No, why would I be?" Spike asked.

Twilight had asked Spike about his month away but all he would say is he met with Celestia's friend and he helped him. She had tried to press for more details but Spike wouldn't say anymore than that and that only made Twilight more curious. First, Celestia wouldn't tell her about this expert and now Spike wouldn't talk either. Spike had also left this morning without telling her where he was going. Did he visit this expert again? He could have went to Sugarcube Corner. No, he would have come back sooner than that. He must have went farther than that. A mystery was afoot and she was going to get to the bottom of it.

Spike was sitting at the bottom of the stairs and he could feel Twilight staring at him. Maybe he got that book too fast. She had been asking Spike about what he did while he was away and the vague answers he had given her had only made her more suspicious. He knew Twilight wasn't going to let this go. She was going to do everything in her power to find out and if she did, she might reject Spike out of disgust for his new diet. He already felt alienated by the rest of the town. If Twilight rejected him, he couldn't imagine what he'd do.

"You know what, Spike?" Twilight said cheerfully. "It really is unfair of me to work you so hard after coming back. Why don't you walk around town? I'll just stay here and study on my own."

Spike could tell she was lying. She was going to start following him as soon he left. He didn't need super senses to know that. Twilight might as well said leave so I can spy on you. He had to get Twilight off his back. That's when he got the most brilliant idea. He needed to talk to Fluttershy.

"Thanks, Twilight. I'm going to go to Fluttershy's house. Ok?"

"Sure, Spike."

Spike proceeded to walk to Fluttershy's home. He was fully aware that Twilight was shadowing him. She made so much noise when she snuck around. It reminded him of something Ash said to him when he was learning how to move quietly. Don't just move forward. You have to consider everything around you at that moment. When stepping on a twig or a leaf could alert your prey to your presence, it was important to be aware of your surroundings. Twilight couldn't have been more obvious if a marching band announced each individual step.

Twilight watched her assistant walk towards Fluttershy's house. He had no idea that she was following him. She thought to herself. Twilight assumed Spike was lying about Fluttershy's house. She remembered Spike and Fluttershy talking in private at the party. Does Fluttershy know something I don't about this dragon expert? Why was Spike talking to her about it instead of me? What could Fluttershy be trusted with that she couldn't? She hatched him after all. She knew everything about him. Twilight realized she was jumping to conclusions. Maybe she was just reading into things to deeply. She didn't know exactly what they talked about in private. It may have been nothing. She continued watching as Spike walked on to Fluttershy's property.

Spike was grateful that the animals around Fluttershy's hut weren't scared of him. He had almost expected the animals around Fluttershy's house to panic as he approached at first. It was something he had learned to expect from the ponies in town but here he was accepted as normal. It felt great to not be treated like a danger to everyone.

"Hey, Fluttershy." Spike said greeting her as she carried a huge sack of bird seed on her back. He had grown rather close to the shy Pegasus since he moved back to Ponyville. It was sometimes hard to handle the stares and whispers that he got from the other ponies since he moved back. Fluttershy quickly became someone who he could confide in about such things. Sometimes he wished he could stay here with her sometimes.

"Hello, Spike. How are you today?" Fluttershy asked.

"I'm okay. Here let me help you with that bag." Spike said taking the burden on his shoulder.

"You don't have to do that, Spike." Fluttershy said not wanting to inconvenience him.

"It's fine, Fluttershy. Are you feeding the birds?" Spike asked.

"Yes, you can join me if you like." Fluttershy said leading him towards the tree where the birds were kept. As they approached, Spike noticed the birds looked a little apprehensive.

"Is something wrong with the birds today?" Spike asked.

"They have been acting very strange lately, but when I ask them about it, they aren't sure what it is?" Fluttershy said. Spike was reminded of how apprehensive Ash was this morning. Could the two of them be connected?

"Eep!" Fluttershy said as she suddenly jumped behind Spike as she heard a noise in the bushes nearby.

"Don't worry about it, Fluttershy. It's just Twilight Sparkle. She's trying to follow me to see where I've been going in the morning." Spike told her. The pegasus moved from behind the dragon looking rather embarrassed.

"You mean she doesn't know. I thought you were going to tell her." Fluttershy said looking more relaxed. Spike could still feel Twilight watching them, despite startling Fluttershy. It was like she wasn't even trying to be sneaky anymore. She should have least retreated or moved to a different location.

Twilight was sitting in the bushes hoping her movements were too loud just then. She had been leaning forward trying to hear their conversation and fell into the bush. Fluttershy seemed to hear her, but no one called her out on it so she assumed she was safe. She couldn't help but feel like Fluttershy and Spike were much closer than usual. She wondered if Spike was secretly seeing Fluttershy. That would explain why he would disappear in the mornings and the secrecy, but when did this start? Was it at the party? Did one of them confess to the other then? At least she was close enough to hear what they were saying.

"I'm working on it. I'm just waiting for the right time to bring it up. I'm not sure how she'll take it." Spike said looking rather nervous as he opened the bag of bird seed for Fluttershy.

"You can't hide the truth from her forever. She's going to find out eventually." Fluttershy said. She had been trying to convince him that Twilight would be just accepting as she was.

"I know it's just hard to bring up. What if she's disgusted by me or something?" Spike said looking down. Fluttershy moved in front of him and placed a hoof on his shoulder.

"There's nothing wrong with it, Spike. It's perfectly natural for you to have these urges and I'm sure Twilight will understand too." Fluttershy said trying to cheer him up.

"You're probably right. I guess I'll try to tell her today. Thanks, Fluttershy." Spike said as the two gave each other a hug.

Twilight couldn't believe what she had just heard. Spike and Fluttershy were obviously seeing each other, and Spike was too scared of how Twilight would react to tell her. She wasn't exactly thrilled about it. She wished Spike would have consulted her before getting romantically involved with one her friends. Then there was the talk of these perfectly natural urges. How far had thing gotten if Spike and Fluttershy were discussing his urges? Spike had just gotten back a few days ago. Could their relationship have progressed to such a level so quickly? What happened to Spike's crush on Rarity? Twilight decided she had heard enough and carefully snuck away to think about everything.

"I think she's gone." Spike said as he listened to her depart the area.

"I hope you tell her the truth about Ash. I'd hate for it to come between you two later on." The pegasus said taking some birdseed out of the bag and holding it out for her little friends to enjoy.

Spike and Fluttershy were feeding the birds when a loud roar suddenly erupted from the forest nearby causing all the birds to fly away. Spike could immediately tell it was not Ash. It was a roar of pure bloodlust. Ash would never roar like that. The young dragon had learned that roars were a kind of secret language amongst dragons. A roar could be anything from a hello to deadly threat and this one was closer to the latter. Spike was about to leave when he saw Fluttershy just standing there with an expression of pure fear on her face as she looked towards the forest.

"I-I remember that roar." Fluttershy said shaking uncontrollably. Spike carefully took one of hooves and caressed it trying to calm her down.

"Get inside your hut, Fluttershy. I got to go check it out." Spike said looking towards the forest.

"You can't Spike. It's far too dangerous. You'll get hurt or worse." Fluttershy said.

"I'll be fine. You calm down the animals and stay here." Spike said about to head into the forest when he felt Fluttershy hug him from behind.

"Be careful, Spike. We can't lose you again." Fluttershy said holding him rather tightly. He froze as he felt her mane brush against the scales on his head. Part of him wanted to stay behind and just remain in her hug. He quickly pushed the thought of his head as he ran forward leaving Fluttershy's hold.

"Don't worry about me. I'll be back before you know it." Spike shouted as he ran ahead. He was curious as to why he let himself get so sidetracked by Fluttershy's impromptu display of affection. The dragon decided to put it off until he found out what was happening.

He started to move through the dense forest swiftly. He passed a herd of animals fleeing in the opposite direction. Spike knew that meant that whatever had entered the forest was powerful enough to scare even the dangerous creatures of the Everfee Forest. Spike heard another roar. This time it was Ash and he was warning the other dragon. Another roar rang out from the other dragon, roughly translated it was a challenge.

Spike knew a fight was imminent and between dragons no less. Something he had only heard about in stories from Ash. Apparently, dragons fighting one another was rare. Dragons were hot headed and violent, but they were also hermits. There were rare occasions when dragons got together such as the great migration but things were relatively tame even then. Why was one challenging Ash?

The dragon could see Ash facing a red dragon who was already in attack position. He was tempted to call out to Ash but held back. A distraction could be fatal in a situation for Ash. His attention was locked on his foe who began to speak.

"This is your last chance. Stand down and let me continue." The red dragon said.

"If your intent is to harm those beyond the forest, I can't let you pass." Ash said.

"Then fall!" The green dragon lunged forward to slash only to have his claw grabbed and twisted behind his back.

"You can't win, Scarr! Stop this foolishness before you embarrass yourself any further!" Ash said holding the dragon's arm against his back. Scarr only laughed as his spiky tail slammed into the back of Ash's head.

Scarr pulled free from the dazed dragon and turned to slash again. Ash couldn't react fast enough to dodge or counter this time. Scarr successfully slashed a large gash across his chest. The pain reignited Ash's senses as he launched a stream of flame at his opponent who held his arms to shield himself from the barrage. He pushed through Ash's flame and drove his head into his opponent's chin with a vicious headbutt.

Spike watched as the two battled with an ill feeling in his stomach. Ash had plenty of fight left but something told him his mentor was being cornered. He wanted to jump in and help but it would have just given Ash one more thing to worry about.

Scarr unleashed a vicious right hook across Ash's face sending him to the ground. He smiled as he realized he had the upper hand now. Ash tried to get up only to feel Scarr's tail slam into his back. Scarr continued to rain blow after blow with his tail as Ash struggled to get up. Eventually Ash crumpled to the ground but Scarr continued his assault with a sadistic grin.

Spike wanted to do something, but he was paralyzed with fear. His mentor lay broken and beaten in the dirt. What he could do? He was but a mere fly to this intruder. Spike felt so useless at that moment as he wondered why he couldn't muster the courage to help Ash. Spike looked Scarr as he beat his mentor into the ground. If he couldn't build the courage to fight, he'd rely on hate.

"Stop!" Spike roared with an intensity that befitted a dragon far larger than him. Scarr turned around quickly expecting another dragon to attack. He looked around wondering where his foe was. He eventually saw a purple and green speck on the ground and realized it was he who called out.

"What do we have here? A youngling who thinks he's a full grown dragon perhaps." Scarr joked.

"Leave him alone, Scarr! Your quarrel is with me." Ash said weakly as he tried to stand.

"Is this whelp yours? No. I don't think so. A student, perhaps? Yes. Listen well, little one. I will spare your pathetic teacher only because I have more important matter to attend to." Scarr said taking off into the sky.

"No! Come back and fight." Ash said reaching a claw out. He moaned in agony as his ribs reacted painfully to the motion.

"Ash, are you all right?" Spike asked as he ran to his side.

"Spike, that was incredibly foolish! He could have killed you." Ash said trying to sound chastising.

"If you can worry about me, you can't be too bad." Spike joked.

"We have bigger worries. He's headed to Ponyville." Ash said.

"What! Why would he be headed to Ponyville?" Spike asked.

"He seeks to avenge his pride by killing the pegasus who drove him out." Ash said. Spike knew of only one pony who drove a dragon out.

"I have to save her." Spike said rushing back only to have Ash's claw block his path.

"Hold it, young one. You are no match for him-"

"My entire life is Ponyville! You can't expect me to sit here and let him hurt my friends." Spike shouted.

"Let me finish, Spike. You are no match for him as you are now. That's why I am giving you all the treasure in my cave. It's yours." Ash said confusing Spike.

"What's treasure supposed to… Whoa!" Spike said as a strange feeling overcame him. Everything seemed to get smaller and smaller around him. He eventually realized that he was in fact growing. By the time, he stopped he was as big as Ash. His form was much bulkier and he didn't have the wings of his mentor. He looked around to find Ash only to find him gone. He suddenly heard a noise that made him looked down. He saw a small green baby dragon with wings standing at his claws.

"Impressive! You're ready to take on Scarr now." Ash said.

"What happened to me? What happened to you?" Spike asked looking at his new muscular form. His mentor flew up and landed on his shoulder.

" A dragon's height doesn't change with years, but with the size of our hordes. I gave you my treasure to give you the power to defeat Scarr. It's only till you beat him so don't get used to it. I'll be taking my treasure back when this is all over." Ash said with a grin.

"Alright, let's go." Spike said as he ran off to stop Scarr.

Meanwhile

Ash could smell the scent of that accursed wretch as he reached the edge of the forest. He looked down at a small cottage near the edge of the forest.

"There she is!" Scarr said landing in front of the cottage. He ripped the roof off the cottage with one claw and looked inside. He saw his prey huddled in a corner.

"It's you!" Fluttershy cried out.

Scarr smiled as he reached into the cottage and tried to pick up the pony only to be assaulted by an army of small birds and other woodland creatures. The dragon attempted to swat the creatures away as they climbed his body attacking him, but they were too nimble for the behemoth.

"Please stop! It's too dangerous." Fluttershy called out to her little friends. They ignored her and continued their assault of pecking, biting, and scratching. Scarr grew tired of this display.

"ENOUGH!" He shouted with such force that all the critters were either blown away or scared off. He grabbed the cowering pegasus in one claw, taking care not to crush her. Fluttershy trembled uncontrollably as they dragon held her.

"W-w-w-what are you going to-to-to do to me?" Fluttershy asked. The dragon held her up so she was at eye level with him. He smiled as he saw the fear and panic coming from her eyes.

"I'm going to destroy everything you hold dear and precious. I'm going to raze this entire town to the ground in your honor. None shall be left untouched by my wrath, and when it is all said and done, I shall leave you at the center of it all knowing it's all your fault." Scarr said. He watched as the pegasus hung her head. He thought for a moment he had broken her spirit. Suddenly, she raised her head and that look appeared in her eyes. The same one that caused him to flee in terror before.

"No, I won't let you do something so horrible. Is this kind of horrible devastation what you want to be known for? Attacking innocents and destroying other people's property just to get back at one pony. You will just look like a big bully who can't handle his own emotions." Fluttershy said sounding like a mother chastising her child. The beast just stared at her for a moment before laughing out loudly.

"I can't believe I let those eyes defeat me even once. I should have killed you long ago. Oh well, I have far more interesting plans for you now." Scarr said showing no effect from Fluttershy's stare. The pony was at a loss for words. Her stare had never failed her before.

"Why didn't it work?" Fluttershy asked starting to feel scared again.

"Because this time I have something that I lacked before. Something you gave me when you used those eyes. I have a burning hatred for you. To put it bluntly, my hatred is stronger than your eyes." Scarr said clutching his head. He started to remember all those times he'd close his eyes and fall asleep only to awaken because of a dream. A dream of those eyes staring at him. He needed to stop that dream and this was the only way he could do it.

"Are you okay?" Fluttershy asked. Scarr seemed so lost in thought that he almost forgot he was holding the source of his problems in his other claw.

"I'm fine." Scarr said as he started to walk to Ponyville. He reminded himself that this would all end today. He just had to see her absolutely broken and he could finally sleep.

Meanwhile

"Spike, there's something I need to tell you." Ash said as he clung to his student's shoulder. Spike was running as fast as he could to reach Ponyville. His giant steps causing a quake with each step.

"What's that?" Spike asked still moving forward at the same speed.

"We need to talk strategy. You won't last long against Scarr without a plan. He's clever and strong. I underestimated his capabilities but you can't do the same." Ash said.

"What kind of plan?" Spike said.

"We need to exploit his weakness. You need to challenge him to a fight and remind him of the one who defeated him. If it affected him so much that he can't sleep, it might make him sloppy in battle." Ash said.

"Why do you think he's doing this?" Spike asked.

"It's a matter of pride for him. In his mind, your friend hurt his pride. He values his pride above all else." Ash said.

"Do you know him?" Spike asked.

"He was once a good friend of mine, but that's in the past now." Ash said. Spike wanted to ask him about that, but he spotted Fluttershy's cottage up ahead.

"There's her home." Spike said as he approached the scene. Her home had been ripped open, but there was no sign of Fluttershy.

"Look over there, Spike!" Ash pointed towards Ponyville where Scarr was seen walking towards town. Spike noticed a pink and yellow figure clutched in his claws.

"Fluttershy!" Spike said.

"Challenge him, Spike, and draw him away quickly." Ash said, but Spike ignored him and charged the dragon with the intent of freeing Fluttershy from her captor. Unfortunately, Scarr heard him charging towards him and turned around in time to see Spike's claw coming towards him. He quickly moved to the side making Spike miss.

"What are you doing, Spike? Draw him away from the town!" Ash ordered. They were on the outskirts of the town. If a fight broke out here, it could get ugly for the town.

"I need to free Fluttershy first." Spike said as he watched his friend struggling to get free. Scarr glared at his new opponent in disbelief. The whelp from before was now equal in stature to himself. He spotted Ash on his shoulder and it became clear what happened.

"Resorting to desperate measures, are we?" Scarr asked.

"Let her go!" Spike shouted.

"Spike, is that you?" Fluttershy asked as she laid eyes on the giant creature who had come to her rescue. She wondered what happened to the cute little dragon who was helping her feed birds this morning.

"Make me, whelp!" Scarr said grinning.

"Calm down, Spike! You can't afford to lose yourself in anger." Ash said barely clinging to Spike's shoulder.

"But…." Spike said completely focused on freeing Fluttershy.

"Don't worry about her. If Scarr wanted to kill her, he would have done it when he abducted her. The fact that she's alive means he doesn't plan to harm her yet. Listen, I'll try to pry her loose, but you need to keep him occupied." Ash said.

"Can you really do it? He's pretty big." Spike asked wondering if such a small creature could break a giant's grip.

"He's being careful about using his strength not to crush her. If you can keep his attention off his claw, I can force it open long enough for her to fly away." Ash said. If he used all his strength into it, he could force his hand open enough.

"I don't think that'll work. She can't fly." Spike said.

"She's a pegasus, right? Why couldn't she fly?" Ash asked.

"She can't fly when she's scared, and she has a fear of giant dragons." Spike said. Fluttershy was probably quaking in the claws of that monster.

"I'll try to get her to safety then. Just do what you can to keep his attention." Ash said flying into the air. Scarr watched as he flew away from the battle.

"Running away, Ash? A wise choice. You don't want to see what I do to your pupil." Scarr said grinning at Spike. Ash wasn't running away, but retreating to a safer vantage point where he could wait for an opening. He knew the odds were heavily against Spike though. His opponent was more skilled and experienced, but Spike had something that could sway the odds in his favor.

Since Spike wasn't raised like most dragons, he didn't have the instincts that are developed from growing up in the wild with other dragons. Spike, being raised by ponies, lacked the powerful instincts of a dragon. Under his tutelage, Spike had managed to improve his instincts greatly, but it would take years of living in the wild for Spike to hone his instincts to the level of a true dragon.

Fortunately, he had something else that was unique only to him that made up for it, namely his intelligence. Spike's instincts were good, but it was his intelligence that made him truly shine in combat. He could come up with strategies and find weakness that other dragon might not find right away, even with the best instincts. This was his one and only advantage over Scarr. Ash just hoped it would be enough to help him win.

Spike quickly assessed the situation. His opponent's left claw was holding Fluttershy which meant he had a serious disadvantage on that side. He could easily take advantage of the opening but it would draw all his attention to Fluttershy and Spike couldn't do that if he wanted to save her. There was also the off chance that Scarr might use her as a shield. He had to draw his attention to the right side of his body and keep it there.

Spike balled his claws into fist and immediately threw a left hook at his left side. Scarr laughed as he anticipated this and moved to his right. He knew the whelp would try to attack him from where he couldn't defend properly. He was proven wrong as he watched Spike's left fist pull back and his right collided directly into Scarr's face knocking him for a loop.

"It was a feint, and I fell for it! Who is this whelp?" Scarr thought as he reeled back. Scarr had moved directly into Spike's fist making it a particularly devastating blow, but Scarr's pride took an even bigger blow. Even though his opponent was a full grown dragon, he had techincally been bested by a child. He swore to make this whelp suffer for this indignity.

Spike moved forward with his right fist ready to strike, but Scarr managed to recover and move out of the way. Spike stumbled as his target dodged the blow. The young dragon had threw far too much weight in his attack and now his back was to his opponent. Spike felt a intense burning sensation on his back as Scarr unleashed his fire breath. Fluttershy cried out in horror as Spike was roasted by the blistering barrage. He went down to one knee as Scarr continued his assault.

"Please, stop hurting him! I'll do anything. Just make it stop!" Fluttershy shouted as tears streamed down her face. She couldn't bear watching Spike get hurt like this. Scarr only relished the moment even more as he continued to torture his foe.

"How does it feel, whelp?" Scarr asked as he took another deep breath. Spike could feel the flames bearing down on his back with vengeance. Spike was unable to do anything as Scarr burn his back. The pain was absolutely excruciating as the flames tore at his scales. He tried to stand up but the flames had enough pressure to keep him kneeling. Spike knew he couldn't stand this punishment for much longer. He had to ignore the pain and concentrate.

Spike closed his eyes and focused as he tried blocked out everything. The sounds of his scales being devoured and the pain all faded away for a few seconds. He was able to see the entire scenario and plot out his next move.

Scarr watched as the whelp relaxed his stance. It looked like he had given up, but it made no difference to him. He would roast the whelp alive till nothing but ashes remained. He could think of no better lesson for the brat. Suddenly, he felt something wrap around one of his left leg. He looked down to find the whelp's tail wrapped around him. He ceased his fiery assault and braced himself before Spike's tail could pull hard enough to trip him up.

With the flames gone, Spike instantly forced himself upward and launched his head backwards into his opponent as hard as he could. The hit made an exceptionally loud thud noise as Spike's head crashed directly into Scarr's forehead. Scarr was knocked for a loop. Spike instantly pulled his tail forward sending the red dragon to the ground as he fell hard on his back and head.

Spike pounced on the downed dragon and began pummeling him with flurry of vicious blows. His opponent was too out of it to put up much of a defense. Spike continued to land punch after punch on the fallen dragon's head. Ash was able to pry Fluttershy loose with relative ease while Spike hammer his opponent.

"Are you alright?" Ash asked the shaken pegasus. He realized Spike was right about her. She could barely stand let as he helped her move away. She suddenly stopped moving and turned towards Spike.

"We need to stop him." She said as she watched Spike.

"What?" Ash asked.

"He's going to kill him." Fluttershy shook free of the small dragon's grasp and leapt into the air only to crash back to the ground.

"Stop! We have to get you out of here." Ash called out. Fluttershy ignored him and made another unsuccessful attempt to fly to Spike. She was fighting the fear that paralyzed her from before. She leapt into the air one final time and managed to stay afloat, albeit shakily.

"Stop it, Spike! You're killing him!" Fluttershy shouted as she flew wobbly towards Spike. He didn't hear her as he continued to pound Scarr who was no longer putting up any sort of resistance. The kind pegasus knew the red dragon was completely unconscious now. His chest was barely rising and the rest of his body was barely moving. His condition would turn fatal if she didn't stop Spike.

Spike was in a blind rage as he beat on his opponent. Something deep inside in him wanted to make this dragon pay. He wanted to kill him. He wanted to make him pay for hurting Fluttershy and Ash. Spike knew this was wrong. Scarr wasn't putting up any resistance which meant he was most likely unconscious from the fall. Spike should have stopped then and yet he was absolutely driven to finish him off.

Spike raised his fist and prepared to deliver one final blow to the downed dragon. As his fist descended towards it's target, a familiar pink and yellow figure flew in the path of his attack with her legs stretched outward as if hoping to catch the massive fist. Spike barely managed to stop his fist from obliterating her as he stopped just inches from her body.

"Fluttershy?" Spike said confused. The rage that had clouded his thoughts faded as memories of the peaceful days spent by her side took their place.

"Please stop it, Spike! Please don't kill him! You promised you'd come back, remember? Please come back to me." Fluttershy said as she hugged the fist in front of her. Spike could feel the tears streaming from her face as she held on to one of his fingers.

Spike suddenly started to shrink as he felt his anger subside. Before he knew it, he was back to normal being held aloft in Fluttershy's soft embrace. The pegasus carried the dragon back to Ash who was awed by the spectacle he had just witnessed.

"She managed to not only calm Spike's bloodlust, but she also made him give up his claim on Ash's treasure. If she holds such sway over hiss emotions, she must be someone he truly treasures more than gold or power." Ash thought to himself as he rejoined the two of them. He smiled at Spike and nodded.

"You did well, young one. I thought you were a goner back there." Ash said praising him on his victory. Spike looked back at the huge creature and frowned.

"Will he be okay?" Spike asked.

"He'll be fine, Spike. He's just sleeping. It's nothing to worry about for now." Ash said.

"For now?" Fluttershy asked.

"He'll wake up a thousand years from now, and he'll almost certainly try to challenge you again. He was always a prideful fool." Ash said.

"Are you serious?" Spike asked incredulously.

"It's nothing to worry about. You've already proven you're stronger. I have no doubt that when the times come you will be ready." Ash remarked.

"But to hold on to a grudge for that long." Spike said. He looked at the dragon and wondered what would happen a thousands years from now. Spike would no doubt be at the top of his form and Scarr would be slower and older. Would he really come back for revenge knowing he'd just be beaten again?

"Rest now, old friend. May your dreams be of happier times." Ash whispered to himself.

"Are you two okay?" A familiar voice called out. It was Twilight Sparkle and her friends.

"We saw two dragons going at it over here and rushed over as soon as we could. What happened here? Who's this little fella?" Applejack said. Spike sighed as he figured there was no point in hiding what happened anymore.

"Guys, I have something to tell you." Spike said nervously. He explained everything about his new diet and how he learned to hunt. They all listened in silence as Spike described his experiences in Everfree Forest. When he finished telling them, they looked quite shocked by his revelation.

"So that's what you've been doing while you were gone?" Twilight asked.

"Yeah, I understand if you don't want me living at the library anymore, Twilight." Spike said awaiting Twilight's response, but she didn't say anything at first. She merely walked forward and hugged him tightly.

"Oh, Spike! I don't care about that. Do you know how worried I was when you left? How miserable I felt every time I realized you weren't by my side? If you think I'd ever let you go over this or anything else, you're crazy." Twilight said sobbing as she hugged the dragon tightly.

"She's right, Spike. If it's something you need to do, there's no other way around it, right?" Rainbow Dash said.

"You're still our little Spikey-Wikey, after all. We'd never abandon you." Rarity said.

"Besides if you left that means there'd be one less birthday party to celebrate and there's no way I'm letting that happen." Pinkie Pie added.

"Do you guys really mean it?" Spike asked.

"Of course, they do. It's just like I told you earlier." Fluttershy said. Twilight stepped back for a moment and looked at Fluttershy.

"Wait a minute! When you two were talking earlier, it was about this. So you aren't secretly dating each other?" Twilight asked. Spike and Fluttershy blushed as they heard Twilight's outlandish claim.

"D-don't be silly, Twilight. It's nothing like that." Spike said immediately denying it.

"Spike and I are just friends. He wouldn't want to be with somepony like me anyway." Fluttershy said.

"That's not true!" Spike blurted out almost immediately. Everypony turned to Spike who was as shocked as they were. He just had this uncontrollable urge to correct her. Before anyone could say anything, a figure appeared in a flash of light.

"Princess Celestia!" Everyone called out as she approached. Ash stepped before the princess and knelt on one knee with his fists firmly planted in the dirt.

"I see the problem resolved itself. What happened here, Ash?" Princess Celestia said surveying the scene.

"Scarr returned seeking revenge for being forced to leave. I fought him in the forest, but I was ultimately defeated. Luckily, Spike was there at the time or Ponyville might have been destroyed. Please forgive me for failing." Ash said giving her a quick summation of what happened.

"What is he talking about Princess Celestia?" Twilight asked.

"Ash's duty is to keep the creatures of the Everfree Forest in check and protect Ponyville from the dangers within. Raise your head my dragon. You have done exactly as I asked." Princess Celestia said lifting his head with a hoof.

"But I failed you." Ash said.

"No, you haven't. It was your assistance and training that helped Spike prevail this day. I'm sure I'm not the only on who thinks so. Isn't that right, Spike?" Princess Celestia asked.

"That's true. Without your help, I would have never defeated him. Don't be so hard on yourself." Spike told him. Ash wasn't convinced. It was his job, not Spike's. Ash was about to protest when Princess Celestia placed her hooves under his arm and picked him up like a child.

"No more buts, mister." Princess Celestia said holding him up.

"Hey! Put me down! This is highly inappropriate, your highness." Ash said trying to wiggle free of her grasp.

"Awww! Somebody's a cranky little dragon, isn't he? You know what that means." Princess Celestia said with a devious grin on her face. Ash struggled to break free even faster as he realized what was coming next.

"Please, I'm far too old for such childish nonsense, Celestia. Stop this at once!" Ash ordered.

"Funny, you don't look too old. I think it's time to turn that frown upside down." Princess Celestia said with devilish glee. She placed her mouth on Ash's stomach and began to blow. Ash started to laugh hysterically as he flapped his wings and kicked his tiny dragon legs to no avail.

"This is highly not very dignified! We're both too old for this!" Ash said over his own laughter as Celestia continued to ignore him.

"Who's a happy dragon? Who's a happy dragon?" Princess Celestia said as she continued to play with the small dragon. Ash continued to fight though.

"I will not succumb to this immature farce. I demand you cease." Ash said as his sides started to ache from being tickled.

"Say it." Princess Celestia said pulling away. Ash was about to refuse when she started to move forward again.

"Okay, I'm a happy dragon. It's me who's a happy dragon." Ash said reluctantly.

"Now wasn't so hard, Ash." Princess Celestia said hugging him closely to her chest.

"Yeah, I guess." Ash said hugging her back.

Everyone else could only watch the surreal moment in complete and utter disbelief. A few minutes passed before anyone could address the princess directly.

"Umm… your highness. What are we going to do about him?" Twilight Sparkle asked the princess.

"Don't worry about him. I'll take him back to his cave. He shouldn't be a threat to anyone. In the meantime, I think it's time for a celebration in honor of the hero who saved Ponyville." Princess Celestia proclaimed.

"Isn't this great, Spike? Once everyone hears how you saved the town. Ponies won't have any reason to be scared of you." Fluttershy said happy that Spike would once again be accepted. She also couldn't help feeling a little sad as well. It would also mean that Spike would probably spend less time with her now that he had no reason to confide in her alone. He could talk to his friends about his troubles now and hang out with everypony else now.

"Actually, I was wondering if I could still hang out with you, Fluttershy?" Spike asked nervously.

"Really?" She asked not believing what she was hearing. Spike was no longer shunned which meant he wanted to hang out with her because he simply wanted to. The thought made Fluttershy happy.

"Yeah, if you don't mind, I mean." Spike said.

"Of course, you can." Fluttershy said brimming with happiness. She stepped forward and hugged him.

"There is just one last thing that needs to be settled." Ash said standing across from his pupil.

"Huh? What's that?" Spike asked.

"You defeated someone who bested your master. As things stand now, you'll start to look down on me. I can't have you getting to cocky now, can I?" Ash said as he cracked his knuckles. Spike stepped away from Fluttershy and faced his master.

"Now who's being prideful?" Spike asked clenching his claws.

"Scared even though we're basically the same size?" Ash said goading his pupil.

"I was just trying to spare you the humiliation of defeat, old timer." Spike said.

"You two aren't really going to fight, are you?" Twilight asked. She couldn't believe how pigheaded they were being after they just saved the town.

"This is so cool! Go get him, Spike!" Rainbow Dash cheered earning a look of scorn from Twilight.

"Princess Celestia! We have to stop them." Twilight said pleading with her teacher.

"It's fine, Twilight. It's just a friendly match. I'm sure things won't get too out of hand. It's in their nature after all." Princess Celestia said as she watched the two face off.

"I guess as long as no one gets seriously hurts, but I still don't like it. You can't approve of this either, Fluttershy" Twilight said but the pegasus just smiled.

"It seems like something they have to do. Just be careful, Spike!" Fluttershy said.

"Do your best, Ash!" Princess Celestia said cheering her own dragon. Twilight decided to join in as well.

"You can do it, Spike!" Twilight Sparkle called out.

"Ready?" Ash asked expanding his wings.

"Always." Spike said as the two leapt forward with their fist ready to strike.

The End

**A/N: I finally finished it. I'd like to thank everyone who commented and asked me to finish this thing. Without you guys, I would have never been able to pull it off. Thanks for not letting this story rot.**


End file.
